The wind stopped as Henry walked into the small strip where the bar was. It would be spring in a week and the weather was still cold and the trees began to bud. There were few cars parked out front. He walked into the bar. Henry was surprised at how empty it was. There was a square counter in the center of the room surrounded by stools. To the sides there were tables and booths. It was a small room but there were many TVs and most of them had the same thing on them. There was only the bartender and a waitress who came from the back to take someone's order. He sat down at the first stool.
“What will it be?”
“Old fashioned.”
The bartender looked right at him and then turned to make the drink.
Henry did not like him. He thought bartenders did not judge. He wanted to tell him he was meeting an old friend. That he was not drinking alone and that he was not one of those drinkers. But it did not matter. He looked up at the tv above the bar.
The bartender placed the glass on the counter in front of him and looked up at the TV.
“I can change the channel.”
“No, it's fine,” Henry said.
“Do you want me to unmute it?” the bartender asked.
Henry gave him a flat smile. “It's fine.”
“What do you do?” The bartender asked as he picked up a glass and began to wipe it.
“I'm a writer.” Henry did not like the bartenders probing.
“Have you been published?”
“Shure, many times.” Of Course, they were all self-published. He knew the difference. But there was no point in telling the bartender.
“I knew someone who wanted to be a writer once. He's an English teacher now.”
“That's normal,” Henry said apathetically.
“Is that right?” He set the glass and rag down, looking at Henry with both his hands on the counter. “He probably still writes though, right?”
“I don’t know. You could ask him.”
“I don't talk to him anymore. It makes you wonder.”
The door to the bar opened. A man with dark hair and a black pea coat walked in. He smiled and walked up to the counter, hugging Henry.
“Henry, Hey, how have you been?”
“Good Sam, and you?”
“Fine.”
He let go of him and put his jacket over the back of the stool and sat down.
“It's been a while,” Henry said.
“It has. When I saw your message I got excited.”
“Come on now.”
“Seriously man, it's been forever.”
“It hasn't been that long.”
“Well it has for me,” Sam said
“I suppose a wife and kids will do that.”
“Hey, don't bring them up.”
“Are u still mad?”
“It's fine.”
“I would have liked to go.”
“I know, I'm not really mad.”
“But you can be.”
“Yes, I can.”
They both smiled at each other.
“It's good to see you, Sam.”
“You to Henry.”
“Have a drink?” Henry said.
“So what has been so important?” Sam asked.
“Nothing much.”
“Nothing?”
“Just traveling.”
“I saw you were in Indonesia.”
“Borneo.”
“Is that not Indonesia?”
“It is, but Malaysia and Brunei too.”
“So which were you in?” Sam asked
“Indonesia.”
Sam looked at him with eyes he had seen many times.
Henry grinned widely.
“So what were you doing in Borneo?” Sam corrected himself.
“Not much.
“There's a big rainforest isn't there? Sam asked”
“Ya, that's why I went. There's a city too, but it's new and so are the people.”
“What about that book you were writing?”
“Who told you I was writing a book?”
“Everyone at home knows.”
Henry finished his bourbon and waved at the bartender.
“Are you close to finishing?” Sam asked.
“Shure,” Henry said
“I'll buy the first one.”
“I know you will.”
“Why do you say it like that?”
“No reason.”
They sipped on the bourbon.
“So how long will you be in for?”
“I'm not sure.”
“We should go fishing well you’re here.”
“I don't have any of my poles.”
“Your mother doesn't have them.”
“No.”
“Well, I have more than one pole you know.”
“I'm sure, you do love new things.”
“Hey,” Sam said deadly seriously. “You don't know how hard it is. I bought one lure and I heard about it for a week.”
“But she could complain about a lot more”
“Ya, she could.”
They both looked down at the counter.
“The little ones are fishing now too,” Sam said, looking back at Henry.
“They'll be terrible.”
“Maybe you can teach them then?”
“You know I don’t have the patience for children.”
“You could have just said you didn't want to meet them.”
“Come one you know I didn't mean it like that.”
Sam chuckled, “it doesn't feel good does it.”
“Maybe I'll go fishing by myself,” Henry said.
“What, With a stick and some yarn,” Sam said.
They both smiled and sipped their bourbon.
“You should think about it, man. You'd be amazed at yourself.”
“What?”
“Kids,” Sam said. “Your entire world will change.”
“It certainly will.”
“Come on, you must have met many women, well you were gone?”
“So what?”
“So, not one?”
“No.”
“Don't they do arranged marriages and stuff over there?”
“Some people do.”
“Maybe I can do one of those for you.”
“You talk to a lot of women?” Henry asked, staring at his ring.
“What do they say? That a writer is married to their writing or something.”
“I don't think anyone says that.”
“No? You think I could start printing it on t-shirts.”
Henry took a big sip.
“I'm just worried for you. You know that,” Sam said.
“Of course,” Henry said.
“Well. Do you have time tomorrow?”
“For fishing?”
“Ya, or do you have to write.” Sam contorted his face like he had smelled something bad.
“You have to let me use that baitcaster of yours, the nice one.”
“When's the last time you fished?”
“Indonesia.”
“Do they use baitcasters there?”
“Well, it's all the same.”
“I’ll buy more line.”
They both smiled again.
“So, do you mind if I bring the kids?”
“Of Course not man.”
He stood up and grabbed his coat from the back of the stool and put it on. “I'll text you the address.”
“I know where you live.”
“Alright. Just come whenever you want and we'll go.”
“No time?”
“If I tell the kids a time and you don't show up I have to deal with it.”
“Really?”
“Am I wrong?”
“I'll come early.”
“Shure.”
He opened the door and turned around “I'll see you then.”
“Alright.”
He left and the door shut behind him. The bartender looked at Henry and then back at the glass. He began to wipe it with a rag.
“I thought you guys weren't supposed to judge,” Henry said.
The bartender did not say anything. He poured another glass of bourbon and placed it in front of him
Henry looked at the glass. He sipped it slowly as he watched the screen.
Very good, JRQ!